Indian Eighth-Wicket Pair In Record Test Stand

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30687, 1 March 1965, Page 3

Indian Eighth-Wicket Pair In Record Test Stand

(By R. T. BRITTENDEN, Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) MADRAS, February 28. India’s tail-end batsmen, R. G. Nadkarni and F. M. Engineer, severely punished New Zealand’s bowlers in a record eighth-wicket partnership of 143 on the second day of the first test at Madras today.

The Indians, resuming at their overnight score of 225 for six, added another 172 runs today before they were all out for 397. In reply, New Zealand lost its opening pair, G. T. Dowling and T. W. Jarvis, in scoring 93 for two at the close. After their considerable bowling successes on the first day New Zealand came in for heavy punishment today. An early success was claimed when C. G. Borde was dismissed for only the addition of four runs to his score, but then Nadkarni and Engineer came together, and New Zealand’s hopes of keeping India’s score within reasonable proportions rapidly vanished.

Nadkarni and Engineer took the total from seven for 232 to eight for 375, their partnership of 143 being a record for the eighth wicket for India.

Engineer was dismissed first, with his score at 90, and Nadkarni followed soon afterwards, for 75. R. C. Motz, with three for 87, V. T. Pollard, three for 90, and B. W. Yuile, two for 62, shared the bowling honours. New Zealand had made a splendid start to the tour on Saturday by taking six wickets for 225 runs on a pitch designed for and dedicated to the batting arts. Before a crowd of 20,000 and in temperatures which exceeded 90 for much of the day, the New Zealand team displayed a toughness and tenacity that was quite remarkable after so short a period for settling down. To contain a talented batting side to so few runs in 330 minutes was a minor triumph in itself, but the New Zealand bowlers excelled themselves, particularly Pollard who in his first test performed magnificently. They were supported by fielding which remained alert and aggressive down through the day. Yet if the scoring rate was moderate it was not through the disclination of batsmen to attack. . After the tedious tests against Pakistan it was most refreshing to see so many beautiful strokes being made and both sides contributed to a day of highly entertaining cricket.

Three Phases The day fell into three distinctive phases. In the first two hours the New Zealand bowlers so contained the batsmen that only 67 runs were scored before lunch. In this period Pollard bowled 10 overs for two runs and they came from a hit straight to Sutcliffe which bounced very awkwardly just as he went down for it

In the early afternoon Pollard and Motz struck swift telling blows and New Zealand captured four wickets for 20.

Then came a recovery, almost inevitable on so perfect a pitch, Borde and Duranni scoring 88 for the sixth wicket. But in the last 90 minutes when the New Zealanders might well have weakened they struck grimly to their task and India was able to score only 73 runs. Sardesai, who opened with Jaisimha, looked a capable player and Jaisimha, although occasionally hitting across the line, brought off some magnificent strokes, particularly square cuts made with the lithe grace and elegance of the best of Indian batting. They scored 51 before Pollard bowled Sardesai to earn the distinction of taking the first wicket of the tour. He had carried the ball through quite briskly but this one held back a shade and Sardesai, trying to push jt to midwicket, was badly beaten.

The heat was so Intense that only in the opening spell of four overs was Motz on his full run and New Zealand was further handicapped by the fact that Yuile burst a blister on the index finger of his left hand, rubbed it raw and could not bowl after lunch.

This threw a heavy burden on Pollard, who responded superbly. But after tea he lost his previous tight control and four overs cost him 24 runs.

At 94, Jaisimha tried to hit Motz high and straight and Morgan, at mid-off, was quickly in position to hold the catch. Pautaudi, playing across the line, had his middle stump knocked back five yards by Motz, but Borde, after a period of establishing himself, began a long, fluent, attractive and hightly efficient innings. When in full cry he showed the lissom grace of a West Indian. Durrani, the left-hander, was much more vlunerable, and the bowlers found the edge quite frequently but he also hit the ball hard and profitably. It could have been a very good morning for New Zealand but Motz failed to hold a very difficult catch running with his back to the wicket when Jaisimha lofted one from Reid and Jaisimha was also missed at leg slip by Sutcliffe off Collinge when only 13.

Yuile had the dubious satisfaction of knocking back Jaisimha’s stump with his second ball of the tour—but it was a no-ball. Then Pollard began his spell of extremely accurate hostile bowling. Turning the ball even on such an unhelpful pitch it was after lunch, and in his thirteenth over before he bowled a loose ball.

Manjrekar was quite circumspect and he was defeated when Pollard dropped one on him and from a forward defensive stroke the ball carried gently to Dowling at short leg.

Full Tosses Reid, who was not expected to bowl much, stepped into the breach nobly and Yuile, after one dreadful over in which Jaisimha hit three full tosses for fours, was quite steady but not dangerous. To Pollard must go most credit for New Zealand's good showing. Until his final expensive spell he showed tremendous courage and much skill. With a five, four field he was very hard to get away and although he pegged the batsmen down by hurrying the ball through he carried the flight cleverly. With a little luck New Zealand would have had another wicket or two before the day was done but in the circumstances the situation is highly satisfactory. Collinge tried hard without ever presenting the batsmen with any particular difficulty for the ball came through with depressing ease on to the bat. Motz, however, from a short run, was able to discharge the dual duties of stock and attacking bowling for he was sometimes able to seam the ball which lost shine early and became a peculiar orange colour. Yuile Improved The sky was again quite empty of cloud for the second day’s play, the pitch showing hardly a sign of wear. After treatment with a methylated spirits poultice Yuile’s injured finger Improved. Taking the new ball at the start of play New Zealand struck an important blow with only seven runs added. After Nadkarni had cut Motz beautifully for four, Motz bowled Borde an outswinger which lifted a* little, but only slowly, and Borde, mistiming a defensive stroke; gave Reid at second slip the simplest of catches. Nadkarni played Motz better than Engineer, the new batsman, but twice Motz achieved genuine and worrying bouncers. Motz Routed Soon, however, Engineer settled down to play the most entertaining cricket of the innings. A duel with Motz ended in the New Zealander’s rout. Engineer, trying to hook, was hit heavily in the groin and collapsed, but the next ball was hooked for four. Motz bounced one over him but Engineer swept the next to the boundary. Two overs later he faced Motz again and took 13 from the over with hooks, pulls and cuts. India was completely on ton when Pollard and Yuile took over. Engineer, with magnificently daring full strokes, helped the score race from 250 to 300 in 37 minutes. Four overs from Yuile cost 24 runs. There followed a period In which the bowling was positively slaughtered. Engineer pulled Pollard for four to reach 50 in an hour and the noise from the excited crowd was immense as runs flowed from all shots In the book and some that are not. The running of the batsmen was swift and sure to further demoralise New Zealand. Two or three times Engineer might have been caught but all were extremely difficult chances. The partnership reached 100 in 77 minutes, even Reid conceding 11 in one over and Nadkarni pulling Pollard savagely. In only 25 minutes the score advanced from 300 to 350, but Reid and Collinge applied the brakes and kept the score to 360 at lunch. Engineer’s superb innings ended 10 minutes after lunch when Pollard made a magnificent diving catch off Yuile. He batted 115 minutes for 90, in which time the eighth wicket added 143. Record Stand This broke the Indian record for that wicket in all tests set by the same pair on the same ground against England in 1961. Engineer hit 14 fours and it was an exciting and exhilarating display. Only three runs after Engineer’s dismissal Nadkarni tried to hit Yuile straight and Collinge ran round to make a good catch. India’s Innings ended when Collinge made a satisfactory mess of Venkataraghavan’s stumps. Nadkarni was in for just on three hours and if it was not the elegant innings of Engineer, he is a strong hitter and played a highly useful knock. India’s total of 397 was made in 495 minutes.

New Zealand began 65 minutes before tea to the rather innocuous looking moderately medium pace of Jaisimha and somewhat more lively left-arm bowling of Surti. Dowling had the first run of the tour with a smart single from a push to covers and soon he made two handsome drives for fours off Jaisimha.

Surti was a little short of a length but from round the wicket he came in at the batsmen awkwardly and he worried Jarvis who made a nervous start to his first test innings. Dowling looked most impressive against the medium pace but Jarvis continued to struggle when the left-arm spinner Durrani came on.

He was missed by Nadkarni at leg slip in the first over, it not being a difficult chance.

Surti was no-balled five times in his first seven overs but the batsmen were only twice able to take runs.

Durrani also ended Dowling’s period of freedom and scoring at both ends was almost at a standstill.

At tea, New Zealand was 35 for no wicket, of which Dowling had made 27 and Jarvis three. Durrani, who bowls from full height at pace, was making it difficult to get at him again and worried the batsmen after tea but it was off-spinner, Venkataraghavan, who took the first wicket.

Dowling pulled across one and had the off stump knocked back. He had scored 29. This success of the Madras bowler in his first official tost brought swarms of boys on to the ground and the bowler was given a tremendous ovation.

At 38 for one, and with the Indian spinners so accurate, New Zealand was struggling. Dribble Of Runs There continued to be but a dribble of runs and the Innings was in the forty-sixth over before New Zealand reached 50 in 105 minutes. Then Sinclair pulled Venkataraghavan vehemently for four and with Durrani off after bowling 13 overs for seven runs, Jarvis began to show a little more confidence, though in 110 minutes his score was only nine.

However, with his score nine, Jarvis was bowled, playing a careless-looking shot across the line of Durrani, and New Zealand was 58 for two. Jarvis batted for just over two hours. Reid began with a violent pull for four off Durrani and Sinclair had four, all run, from another no-ball by Surti, but this only a brief burst of scoring.

New Zealand did not lose another wicket to the close, when its score was 93 for two. Sinclair was on 25 and Reid 16.